Today I had an assessment with a trainer at the gym. Seeing as I have never attempted to run any race before, it would be wise to consult with a trainer to get advice tailored to me. It helped that the assessment was included with my membership - an every 6 weeks I get another (free) follow up - not bad for the local council run leisure centre.
So I'm now armed with a training program that will challenge me and help me progress. The program not only focuses on the running aspect, but ensuring the muscles I will need for the endurance of a half marathon are in shape. Hello my dear friend Squats, it seems I'll be seeing a lot more of you! The good news was that most of the exercises are done without gym equipment, so I can fit them into my day routine whilst working.
Knowing that my legs were pretty strong, most of the exercises weren't too much of a challenge. The one challenge that I have is strengthening my deep core muscles. I know all about abs and the many different exercises you can do to work them, but never have I had such emphasis on the deep core muscles. And you could tell. It took about 5 minutes of trying, feeling and watching my trainer before I actually got the correct muscle working. I think I will be doing this simple exercise a lot, so I can easily recognize the muscles!!
My run today actually came before my assessment, so I've yet to put the new routine into practice. But long steady runs are a part of the routine, which is what I'm already doing. I'm also going to add some interval training with a fast pace, and some hill intervals. I know my quads are going to love me for the hills!
Today I was lacking motivation throughout the entire run. From the minute I got started I really wanted to stop. Every minute seemed to crawl past. Every two minutes I wanted to decrease my time running. But I pushed through. I actually upped my running time - twice. I started with one goal in my head, 23 minutes of straight running, and at minute 22 I knew that, although I mentally wasn't in the run, physically I was doing fine, so I added another minute and soldiered on. And in the end that extra minute didn't kill me. It didn't even hurt. It was almost enjoyable. That last minute I knew I was going further and the sense of achievement was huge. The reward was immediate. It was so good that I almost but yet another minute on.....almost.
Stats:
Treadmill - 24 mins (Yay!)
- Distance - 3.38km
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